Imagine it’s the late 2000s. You live in New York and you’re wearing a suit to a club for some reason. All the XM radio stations are playing nothing but Justice and Crystal Castles. Obama was just elected, and his presidential portrait is a blurry flash photo. You and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables. Everyone is broke, but it’s okay, because everyone is also rich.
Okay, maybe this isn’t what the late 2000s actually looked like – I wouldn’t know, since I was all of six years old when they concluded – but it’s the world crafted by The Dare, an artist-to-watch who’s been pivotal in reviving the “indie sleaze” aesthetic. His 2023 release The Sex EP was crass enough to inspire a minor Satanic-panic; this year, he was a minor character in Charli XCX’s brat summer, producing the bonus track “Guess” and hanging around her release parties. Now, he’s gearing up to release his debut album, What’s Wrong With New York?, and on his new single “You’re Invited,” we’re taken along for a ride in his Mercedes. It’s a kitschy piece of nu-disco that makes me feel like a silhouette in a neon-colored room dancing around with an iPod. Some might think it’s tasteless and stupid; his fans would probably agree.
You’re invited to check out the trashy video for this banger below.